On 13/03/2010 02:14, Tuck wrote: > All, > > I'm very confused here. I would have thought that putting a pharmacy > in Dounby, even a small one, would be a convenience to those living in > the West Mainland, Birsay etc., not having to drive to Stromness or > Kirkwall for their meds. So why did 1500 people sign a petition > against it, and what does that have to do with saving a surgery? > > Explain, please. > > > Tuck The Dounby surgery is a dispensing surgery (like the one on Stronsay) - patients get their prescription from the doctor and it is dispensed from the surgery without having to go into Kirkwall. If a pharmacy was opened the surgery would have to cease dispensing prescriptions and thus lose a lot of income, see <http://www.dounbysurgery.co.uk/sosdounby.htm> -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney